Shloka 177
Means to Slay Tāraka: Girijā’s Birth, Kāma’s Burning, and Umā’s Austerities
ब्रह्मादिस्थावरांतोऽयं संसारो यः प्रकीर्तितः । स जन्ममृत्युदुःखार्तो ह्यनिशं परिवर्तते
brahmādisthāvarāṃto'yaṃ saṃsāro yaḥ prakīrtitaḥ | sa janmamṛtyuduḥkhārto hyaniśaṃ parivartate
This cycle of worldly existence—spoken of as extending from Brahmā down to the immobile beings—is forever afflicted by the sorrow of birth and death, and it ceaselessly turns on and on.
Unspecified (narrative voice within Padma Purāṇa, Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: All conditioned existence, from Brahmā down to immobile beings, revolves ceaselessly under the sorrow of birth and death.
Application: Use the recognition of saṃsāra’s repetitive pain to prioritize sādhanā: regular japa, Ekādaśī discipline, charity, and service to devotees; reduce procrastination in spiritual life.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A colossal wheel of existence turns through layered realms: at the top sits Brahmā on a lotus, below are humans, animals, and finally immobile trees and mountains—each segment marked by scenes of birth and death. A faint, steady beam of light descends from beyond the wheel, hinting at liberation beyond the turning.","primary_figures":["Brahmā","Humans (symbolic)","Animals (symbolic)","Sthāvara beings (trees/mountains)","Personified Saṃsāra wheel"],"setting":"Multi-tiered cosmic diagram-like landscape blending heaven, earth, and the rooted stillness of forests; mandala composition.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["deep ultramarine","earth brown","leaf green","bone white","sunlit gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a grand saṃsāra-cakra mandala with gold-leaf spokes; Brahmā enthroned on a lotus at the top segment; lower segments show miniature vignettes of birth and funeral rites; ornate borders, rich reds/greens, embossed gold on the wheel rim and lotus petals, jewel-like highlights.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a poetic cosmic wheel set against a pale Himalayan sky; delicate figures in each realm, refined faces, soft washes; trees and mountains at the base rendered with lyrical naturalism; a subtle shaft of light beyond the wheel suggesting mokṣa.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold circular saṃsāra wheel with thick black outlines; Brahmā in stylized iconography; narrative panels of beings in flat pigments; strong reds, yellows, greens; decorative floral scrolls framing the mandala.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: concentric lotus rings forming the saṃsāra wheel; tiny narrative scenes in each petal; deep blue background with gold and white detailing; peacocks and floral borders; devotional textile intricacy with rhythmic repetition echoing ‘ceaseless turning’."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low drum pulse","temple bell at cadence points","wind through trees","distant conch"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्थावरांतोऽयं = स्थावरान्तः अयम्; ह्यनिशं = हि अनिशम्.
FAQs
It emphasizes the universality of saṃsāra: from the highest created being (Brahmā) down to immobile life-forms, all embodied existence is bound to recurring birth and death and the suffering that accompanies them.
It is a comprehensive range-expression, indicating that no level of embodied existence within creation is exempt from the revolving cycle of transmigration.
By recognizing saṃsāra as ceaseless and sorrow-laden, one is encouraged toward detachment (vairāgya) and earnest pursuit of liberation-oriented practices (such as devotion, discernment, and righteous living).